Which Cardinals' "inner circle" member is to blame for the organization's downfall?

Over the last five years, former players, coaches, and broadcasters for the St. Louis Cardinals have been dropping breadcrumbs that could lead a keen-eyed follower to who is most at fault for the team's unprecedented downfall.

Not only have the Cardinals underperformed on the field, but the internal structure of the organization has also been crumbling in the last half decade. Simply put, the culture of the organization isn't what it once was. Since the end of the 2019 season, things haven't felt the same with the St. Louis Cardinals.

Who is to blame for this mess? The ownership group, the DeWitts, have remained in control for the last three decades. John Mozeliak has been at the helm for 18 years now. What's different then?

There have been plenty of changes within the organization under the top level of executives and owners. Gary LaRocque, a longtime assistant general manager and director of player development, announced that he was leaving after the 2024 season. Matt Slater, a special assistant to the general manager regarding player procurement, particularly in the Asian markets, also departed after last year.

Mike Shildt, Jeff Albert, and Mike Maddux all left for a variety of reasons predicated on disagreements with the organization or its fans. Former coaches and players like Chris Carpenter, Jim Edmonds, Jason Isringhausen, and Ryan Ludwick -- who still assists in the minors with the organization -- weren't brought back as coaches following the 2020 season. The departures of players such as Adam Wainwright, Yadier Molina, and Albert Pujols leaving the organization was detrimental, too.

Hall of Famers like Ozzie Smith, Jose Oquendo, and Willie McGee are beginning to step back in their roles. The losses of men like Bob Gibson, Lou Brock, and Whitey Herzog have depleted the culture within the organization. The old guard is simply fading away, and the number of players and coaches who were brought up with "The Cardinal Way" is dwindling.

In a recent interview on 101 ESPN, Jim Edmonds tore back the curtain and gave a behind-the-scenes glimpse at the change in culture within the organization. "I haven't gone down to spring training in the last couple of years. It's not fun anymore. The baseball is, uh, they don't make you feel like you're wanted. I love Oli (Marmol), the DeWitts I have so much respect for, Mo (John Mozeliak). Everybody's great, but somehow, indoors, in the inner circle, it's just not the same."

The question may not be who is to blame, but rather what is to blame in the St. Louis Cardinals fall from grace.

Edmonds also mentioned an admiration for former manager Mike Shildt along with a noticeable lack of former players and Hall of Famers throughout the organization ranging from spring training coaches to voices in the front office.

This may not be a case of one person being at fault. Edmonds spoke positively about Bill DeWitt Jr., Bill DeWitt III, John Mozeliak, Mike Shildt, and especially Oli Marmol throughout the interview. Most of those people are still working within the organization. Therefore, the culprit here may be a philosophy and mindset change more than any one person.

Think back to the organization's firing of Mike Shildt. Shildt was coming off a spectacular season in which he willed his players to the postseason. He was in line for an extension more than he was the boot. Instead, due to "philosophical differences", Shildt was canned and exchanged for a younger manager who was more apt to coach the modern game of baseball while working with a more analytical front office.

Now, Jim Edmonds, an old-school player who himself said that baseball is changing and becoming soft, is calling out the organization for not wanting to welcome retired Hall of Famers back to the clubhouse.

Perhaps the St. Louis Cardinals are joining modernity and embracing technology, data analysis, and statistics in a way that doesn't gel with past eras of players and coaches. Rather than a singular person being to blame for the Cardinals' transition and downfall, maybe it's a mindset shift.

Trying to blame one individual for the fall of "The Cardinal Way" may be a fool's errand. This is the way modern baseball is played, and veterans of old may not want to get on the wagon anymore. Only time will tell if this new way of running the Cardinals is more effective than leaning on generations of decorated individuals.